Request from the Collection Guide

1. Find the item in Library Search.
2. Click on the item’s title to open its detailed record.
3. Under “View Online,” select “Collection Guide” to access the OAC finding aid in a new tab.
4. Review the collection guide to identify materials of interest.
5. When ready, click “Request Items” to proceed.
6. Select up to 10 boxes you’d like to view. Note: Requests are made by box, not by individual folders.
7. Submit your request and schedule your visit to the Special Collections Reading Room.

Request from the Collection Guide

1. Remote Research Assistance
2. If you can’t visit in person, consider hiring a local researcher. Email speccoll@library.ucsc.edu to request a list of independent researchers available for hire.
3. Hiring a UCSC Student
4. To hire a UCSC student for research assistance, post a job through the UCSC Career Center.

Handling Special Collections & Archives Materials

• Use only one folder/box of material or one volume at a time.
• Keep all folders and items flat and fully resting on your Reading Room table.
• Use any book weights, cradles, or other book-supports we provide when handling fragile materials.
• We provide gloves for some materials (like photos); please wear the gloves that we provide if asked.
• Please do not remove or rearrange materials from folders or boxes.
• If you find something out of place, please ask staff if unsure.

We may provide additional handling instructions depending on the materials you are using.

Please cite all UCSC Special Collections & Archives Materials

1. If copyright is held by the Regents of the University of California: Regents of the University of California. Courtesy Special Collections & Archives, University Library, University of California Santa Cruz.
2. If copyright is held by another organization or individual: Courtesy Special Collections & Archives, University Library, University of California Santa Cruz. [collection name]
3. Need help citing oral histories? See the Regional History Project’s guide: How to Cite Oral History.

Policies on Restricted Collections

Restrictions in donor agreements associated with certain collections require that researchers obtain written permission from the copyright holder before taking photographs for personal reference use. For the following collections, permission must be sent to speccoll@library.ucsc.edu prior to photography in the reading room:

• Bacon Family Papers (MS 131)
• Gregory Bateson Papers (MS 98)
• Harry Mayo Surfing Photography Collection (MS 405)

Personal Cameras & Photography

Special Collections & Archives welcomes researchers to make use of personal cameras to augment their research process and gather information. It is the researcher’s responsibility to maintain thorough notes about the identity and location of materials they photograph. Researchers must also abide by the following rules regarding photography in the Reading Room:

• Please follow all instructions from staff, who may restrict or limit photography of certain materials based on fragile condition or terms of donor agreements.
• No flash photography.
• Materials may not be held up by hand, placed on the floor, folded, forced flat, or removed from boxes or their clear protective sleeves.

Equipment

• Personal cameras and camera phones, silenced and with flash disabled, are permitted.
• Prohibited: laptop cameras, video cameras, flash lights, extension cords, or filming of people in the Reading Room.
• Furniture may not be rearranged and researchers may not stand on chairs or tables for photos.

Restrictions

• Some materials may not be photographed due to restrictions in donor agreements or to minimize long-term risk.
• Restrictions still apply even if permission from the copyright holder has been obtained for publication or exhibition use.
• Permission to photograph does not include photos of Library staff, the Reading Room, or other researchers.

Photocopying Policies

We are unable to accommodate on-site photocopy requests. There is no self service copying in Special Collections; photocopying of materials is done in-house by Special Collections staff as time and condition of the materials permit. Photocopying is performed at the discretion of Special Collections staff. Photocopies are made solely for the personal use of the individual researcher. Permission to photocopy does not constitute permission to publish.

Digital Scanning for Research or Publication

Requests for digital scans must be made through the UCSC Special Collections Request System. Orders can take from one to three weeks to be processed. We do not perform rush orders.

Digital scans for publication are made as high resolution TIFF files according to the Technical Guidelines for Digitizing Cultural Heritage Materials: Creation of Raster Image Master Files from the Federal Agencies Digitization Initiative (FADGI) Still Image Working Group. Files are delivered via the UCSC Special Collections Request System. Please consult our fee schedule for information about reproduction and permission costs. All orders must be paid in advance. Reproduction work begins after payment.

Privacy Protected and Personally Identifying Information

• Collections may contain sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal, state, and/or global "right to privacy" laws, including but not limited to certain educational, medical, financial, criminal, attorney-client, and personnel records; as well as personally identifiable information, including but not limited to Social Security and credit card numbers.
• Please alert Staff immediately if you find privacy protected or personally identifiable information in any collection
• You agree to make no notes or other record of privacy protected or personally identifiable information, and further agree not to publish, publicize, or disclose such information
• Disclosure of privacy protected or personally identifiable information without the consent of those individuals may give rise to legal claims and liability
• You assume all responsibility for infringement of right to privacy in your use of the material, and agree to indemnify and hold harmless UCSC Library Special Collections & Archives, its agents and employees against all claims, demands, costs, and expenses arising out of use of archival collections held by UCSC Special Collections & Archives
• Learn more about privacy protected and personally identifiable information in Special Collections & Archives on the Privacy and Personally Identifiable Info tab.

Statement On Harmful Language in Archival Description

In line with the UC Santa Cruz University Library's Mission, Vision, and Values, and guided by the UCSC Principles of Community, Special Collections & Archives seeks to describe archival materials in a manner that respects those who create, are represented in, and interact with the collections we steward. However, we acknowledge that Library staff manage archival description that may contain language that is racist, colonialist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise harmful. Archival description appears in collection guides (also known as finding aids), library catalog records, and digital object metadata, in creating archival descriptions, Library staff both create descriptions and repurpose existing description produced by creators or prior stewards for example. It is standard practice to reuse original folder titles in order to make materials available for research more efficiently. Whatever their source, these descriptions reflect the language, values, and historical consoles of the people and organizations that created, collected, or described the material. Archival description also features controlled vocabularies such as the Library of Congress. Subject headings, some of which are outdated and harmful. Library staff do not have direct control over these vocabularies, but we do aim to utilize them in alignment with our values and make local adjustments where possible.

When we encounter harmful language created by Library staff, we are committed to reviewing and updating it to acknowledge and repair harm, and documenting such updates. However, original description that comes from the archival material itself can provide important context about its creators, custodial history, and/or source, even when the language can cause harm. In such cases, we are committed to providing additional context more possible.

Library staff are currently implementing practices to address harmful language as part of both retrospective and ongoing description work. We acknowledge that language evolves over time and that efforts to create respectful and inclusive description must be ongoing and iterative. As such, we welcome your feedback and questions at speccoll@library.ucsc.edu.

This statement was adapted from the Princeton University Library Statement on Language in Archival Description and the Yale University Statement on Harmful Language in Archival.